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Bureaucracy On The Ground Could Kill You In The Air

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CaptJax

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Posts
310
Bureaucracy on the ground could kill you in the air

Examiner Editorial 1/14/09

SAN FRANCISCO – Federal Aviation Administration chief Robert Sturgell does have a lot on his plate: Enforcing new rules that regulate the amount of rest flight crews must have during extra-long trips; preparing for the mass retirement of aging air traffic controllers; and dealing with accusations from his own inspectors that FAA supervisors were getting too cozy with the airlines they’re supposed to regulate. But that doesn’t excuse his agency’s inaction on a critical safety matter brought to its attention more than two decades ago.

As documented by our special report today, “Gliding Toward Disaster,” the National Transportation Safety Board has been after the FAA for more than 20 years to require all nonmotorized gliders or sailplanes, as they’re sometimes called, to be outfitted with transponders so that other pilots can detect their presence in shared airspace. The NTSB’s recommendations were based on accident investigations and a study that conclusively determined that the highest risk of midair collision occurs when pilots rely only on visual flight rules.

Since 2001, the NTSB has investigated 51 incidents in which the lack of a transponder to alert air traffic controllers and other pilots to an aircraft’s presence, or the failure to use the transponder if it was installed, was a significant factor. Nine people were killed in the most serious of incidents. And just last year alone, 31 near in-flight collisions were reported to the FAA. Since commercial airliners are often involved in these situations, hundreds more people were literally within seconds of becoming casualties. Since sleek, lightweight gliders are almost invisible to other aircraft while aloft, it is almost impossible for commercial and corporate jet pilots to see them in time. This is a major problem when you’re going more than 500 mph. Many pilots told the FAA in their near-miss reports that they had just seconds to avert a crash.

As our report noted, many glider pilots have voluntarily installed transponders on their aircraft. They are not the problem. The same cannot be said of those who resist doing so, often for perfectly understandable economic or technical reasons. Gliding is a recreational sport and people should be free to enjoy it with the least amount of government restriction, but not at the expense of other people’s lives and safety. The issue here is simple: There is equipment readily available that the FAA knows will increase safety in the skies; the equipment has been repeatedly recommended by the NTSB. The FAA’s duty is to make sure all pilots are using it. To date, the FAA has failed to do so.
 
Gliding Toward Disaster

Examiner Special Report: Gliding Toward Disaster

By Examiner Special Report
- 1/15/09
Multiple deaths and injuries have resulted in recent decades as a result of mid-ar collisions and near-misses involving gliders or sail planes, with commercial jetliners, private planes and corporate aircraft. Pilots typically have only a few seconds to take corrective action, if they see the approaching aircraft. The leading cause of these mishaps is the absence in the gliders of transponders that alert other aircraft in the immediate vicinity, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic controllers, of a glider's presence. Many glider pilots voluntarily use transponders, but a significant number do not and some turn the devices off when they enter what they believe to be uncrowded air space.
An Examiner investigation found that the National Transportation Safety Board has been pushing FAA to require transponders on all gliders during flight, but the federal agency responsible for air safety has resisted. This special report includes:
Gliding Toward Disaster: Tragedies and near-misses mount as FAA delays.
Visual flight rules aren't enough.
Warnings began years ago.
A timeline of key events.
What are gliders and sail planes?
What is a transponder?
For more information.
 
i ALMOST caught me a glider over JOT going into chicago back in 2004. He was wearing a yellow shirt and had grey hair. I needed a shorts change after that event.
 
I am not sure what you want as replys to this, but I really think there is enough regulation on small aircraft.. adding a transponder to a glider would be a really useless considering that a glider pilot is always looking for thermals to climb in.. sometimes they can obtain several thousand feet/min.. further, not many glider operations are near major airports and they don't usually fly higher than 12 to 14K and only a limited time at that..

I climb profiles for most 121 ops and the desire of ATC is to get them high and do it asap.. as a GA pilot I rarely have any issues with commercial aircraft, I do have a transponder equipped aircraft as is required.. but lets not go further by adding this on gliders.. what will be next? sport pilots, ultra lights? Just how low do you fellas plan on flying??

The VFR charts do have designated glider areas, and I would high suggest that glider pilots use these areas..

JMHO

I'm guessing you've never flown in to State College, PA. On one side of the ridge is KSCE on the other is a busy glider port. On one of the two (?) approaches you go right over the top at about 2400'.

TCAS would really help out at that particular airport.
 
I was flying an RJ into Newport News and came really close to making breaking news after almost hitting an ultralight. ATC had told us to be on the lookout for a primary target at our 10 o'clock, which he figured was an ultralight. Sure enough, it was two of them. After calling them in sight, the controller cleared us to a lower altitude. As I reached over to change the altitude selector, I heard the Capt make a loud groan, and I looked up to see another glider right infront of us. I just barely had enough time to disconnect the auto pilot and enter a hard bank to the right and get out of his way.

I'm sure if the guy had had a transponder, we could have been better prepared to deal with the situation. I am all in favor for having the FAA mandate transponders on all aircraft.
 
I am not sure what you want as replys to this, but I really think there is enough regulation on small aircraft.. adding a transponder to a glider would be a really useless considering that a glider pilot is always looking for thermals to climb in.. sometimes they can obtain several thousand feet/min.. further, not many glider operations are near major airports and they don't usually fly higher than 12 to 14K and only a limited time at that..

I climb profiles for most 121 ops and the desire of ATC is to get them high and do it asap.. as a GA pilot I rarely have any issues with commercial aircraft, I do have a transponder equipped aircraft as is required.. but lets not go further by adding this on gliders.. what will be next? sport pilots, ultra lights? Just how low do you fellas plan on flying??

The VFR charts do have designated glider areas, and I would high suggest that glider pilots use these areas..

JMHO


http://www.businessjet.com/blog/2006/08/miracle-mid-air-between-netjets-hawker.html

http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=LAX06FA277A&rpt=fa

This regulation is long over due. This glider pilot did have a transponder but was too lazy to turn it on. He was flying on in the middle of the arrival gate to RNO. He lived by parachuting to safety and the Hawker 800 landed gear up with a failed engine and the spar of the glider in the cockpit. If he had it would have prevented this accident.

A Great Job by the Hawker 800 pilots to land the plane.
 
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I have had numerous close encounters on the arrival into SFO. Those guys really seem to enjoy licking the third rail. I'm a glider pilot too but I'm not happy with situations like that.
 
This glider pilot did have a transponder but was too lazy to turn it on.

Not exactly accurate. He made the conscious decision to leave it off in order to conserve battery power for his radio. Not the best choice for him that day.

The issue for many is that if a transponder is installed it is supposed to be on, regardless of battery power availability, until the battery dies. Then you have no transponder and no radio. So don't install it and there's no problem. What could possibly go wrong?
 
I almost took out a flock of gliders in a competition on approach to ELM a few years ago.

One of the few times you'll hear a pilot ask for ATC's phone number. I can still remember the color clothes they were wearing.
 

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